


Warm

by littleboycalico



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: First Time, Holidays, M/M, Pinto, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-09
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-18 02:25:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboycalico/pseuds/littleboycalico
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris invites Zach to spend a long weekend with him at a vacation home in the Berkshires before returning to NYC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

After the seventh ring, Chris ran his hand through his hair and tugged at the ends. He and Zach rarely called each other, opting to text or e-mail instead, but he was running out of time. He hoped Zach wouldn’t be too alarmed when he checked his phone later and saw that he had four missed calls from Chris. With a sigh, he listened as Zach’s voicemail greeting ended with a beep.

“Hey, Zach. It’s Chris.”

He glanced around at the maze of boxes around his new living room and then down at his marble notebook open on the table in front of him. In huge block letters, he had written “BE SPONTANEOUS” right under where he had written down the instructions and the address his sister had rattled off to him earlier that day.

“Umm, weird story. Katie has this vacation timeshare and she’s been forfeiting all year cause she didn’t want to travel with the baby. She got stuck with this 4-day rental starting this weekend in the Berkshires and the friend she gave it to just backed out with the flu.” He took a deep breath, his fingers tracing over the words in his notebook. “I know it’s short notice, but I’m heading over and you’re sort of in that area so I thought maybe you’d like to take a couple days and, umm, come hang out with me... if you have time... anyway, yeah. I’m coming into JFK on a red eye... and I’m leaving for the airport soon.” He licked his lip. “Umm, this was a long message. Call or text me if you can. Bye, Zach.”

The uneasy feeling in his gut reminded him of the awkward and stilted message he left for the girl he wanted to ask to the junior prom. He tried not to think about how she had called back the next day and politely said no.

 

 

The plane landed with a few bobbles and bounces and Chris leaned his head back on the headrest, his hand already clutching his phone his lap. He turned his phone back on and watched as the numbers adjusted to east coast time. He stared at it intently, waiting for the flash that signaled he had a new text message.

“Come on,” he whispered. He involuntarily started to frown at his phone as he slowly and begrudgingly accepted that he was going to spend four days by himself in a “3-bedroom, quaint house with 2 baths, a fully functional kitchen, a fireplace and enclosed porch,” as the e-mail Katie forwarded to him had described. He fought the urge to slam his forehead into the headrest of the seat in front of him.

Suddenly, the little light on his phone flashed and the name “Zach” appeared on the screen. He jumped in his seat in surprise, almost dropping this phone. It was silly cause he didn’t even know what the text from Zach said, but seeing his name was enough to make him grin gleefully at his phone and at the middle-aged woman next seated to him, who startled at his movement.

“My friend texted,” he explained, holding his phone up. She nodded with a polite smile, much like the way New Yorkers do to potentially emotionally unstable strangers on the subway.

He turned his attention back to his phone and finally read the text:

hope we’re bringing marshmallows. text me and come by my apt after you land.

Chris was ecstatic that Zach would be coming with him to the Berkshires, but he felt the beginnings of a blush creep up his cheeks at the realization that he’d be spending a few days alone with Zach. He’d always found Zach attractive but he first became aware that his feelings for Zach had evolved from friendship to something more during his last trip to New York. He remembered laying in the grass next to Zach in Central Park, shoulder to shoulder, staring up at the sky and feeling blissfully content, like he could do this everyday and never grow tired of it. He remembered the stab of horror at the realization; he’d never felt that way before about anyone, much less someone who didn’t express any interest in him romantically.

But he’d now just invited Zach to what could be perceived as a romantic couple’s getaway in Massachusetts.

This has ‘bad idea’ written all over it, he thought.

He sent Zach a quick text to let him know that he had landed. Within a minute, Zach called back and Chris gave him some more details about the trip. Zach’s enthusiasm was contagious and he felt better after the phone call. He convinced himself to push aside his feelings and enjoy the long weekend with Zach.

After he collected his bag from the luggage carousel, he headed over to the car rental kiosks and picked up the keys. Standing outside, the sky over New York was changing from an early dawn violet to a bright blue as Chris pulled his coat tighter around him and rubbed his hands together. Winters were unforgivably cold in New York, and he would never understand how people chose to live in this kind of weather year after year. He giggled to himself when the Prius was brought to the curb; Zach would be proud.

Luckily, it was a Saturday and usual the morning rush into the city was just a thin trickle of traffic. With the help of the GPS, he arrived at Zach’s in slightly over half an hour and only had to circle around twice before he found a parking spot one street over. He crossed the street and looked up at the number on the buildings until he got to Zach’s. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to text Zach that he was downstairs. A few seconds passed and the door buzzed. Taking the stairs two at time, he got to Zach’s door just as he was flinging it open.

“Hey,” Zach greeted him and threw his arms around Chris.

“Hey,” Chris answered, smothering his cheek into Zach’s shoulder to hide his flush. He was embarrassed at how easily Zach could evoke this kind of reaction from him. Zach gave him a quick slap on the back before he pulled away.

“Are you tired? Do you want to nap for a bit before we hit the road?” Zach asked over his shoulder as he walked toward his bedroom. Following closely behind, Chris saw that Zach had various articles of clothing strewn all over his bed.

“I think I’ll be okay,” Chris mused. He hadn’t slept much on the plane, but he doubted he’d be able to sleep now. Leaning on the doorframe, Chris watched as Zach sorted through the shirts and sweaters and arranged them into arbitrary piles.

“Let me finish packing and you can have the bed while I go out and get some food to bring with us,” Zach suggested, folding an unfortunate sweater and tucking it into a duffle bag.

“I don’t need a nap,” Chris protested through a yawn. Zach grabbed him by the arm and steered to the side of the bed not covered with clothing. Soon, Chris was lying on his side, trying to keep his eyes open.

“Quit fighting it and just sleep,” Zach laughed.

Chris rubbed his eyes. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come to the store with you?”

“Sleep.” Zach walked over and poked his leg. “And Chris?” he asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks,” Zach said. “I’m excited for this trip. It’s going to be fun,” he added.

Chris smiled and watched Zach pull on his coat on his way to the door. He closed his eyes and seconds later he was asleep.

 

 

Traffic was non-existent and despite being cold, it was a sunny and clear day. There was no iPod adapter in the car so they ended up scanning the radio and singing along with whatever they recognized or making words up for the songs they didn’t know. They talked about work, Chris’ new house, people they mutually knew, and rumors they’d heard about the sequel.

Soon, the scenery became more rural, with vast fields of tall grass that stretched to snow-tipped mountains in the distance. The three and a half hour drive flew by and the key pick-up at the managing office went smoothly. By the time they arrived at the house, it was mid-afternoon and they had heard Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” no less than half a dozen times.

The house was small, cottage-like, with white shutters framing the windows. It sat upon a few acres of lightly snow-covered land that was lined by trees, populated by numerous kinds of wildlife. At the far end of the property was a little frozen pond with two stone benches. It was on a quiet but not completely remote road, with a two other houses within sight, and Chris was relieved to find that he was able to get cell phone reception.

Chris unlocked the front door and they scrambled inside, dropping the bags of groceries with their backpacks and duffels as they peered around the living room, looking up at the wooden beams that ran across the ceiling. Oak chairs, tables, and other furniture occupied the room along with a large and comfortable looking couch. Tucked under the mantle that was built into the exposed-brick wall was a traditional fireplace with several charred logs. Scenic photographs and paintings of nearby landscapes, presumably by local artists, hung on the walls.

They began going through every room in the house, jumping on the beds, marveling at the views from the windows, and laughing like children.

“Chris!” Zach called from the bathroom upstairs. “Come check this out!” Chris hurried in and found Zach grinning at the Jacuzzi. The house may have appeared modest, but clearly the owners had modernized certain aspects of the cottage. Chris had noticed that the kitchen looked fairly new as well, with several stainless steel appliances.

Moments later, Chris had opened a hallway closet on the first floor. “Zach! Come quick!” Racing out of pantry, Zach slid in his sock-clad feet and crashed into Chris, hooking an arm around his friend’s. His hand reached out to steady them both.

“Oh my god. So many board games!” He turned and looked at Chris, who was bouncing on his feet.

Once they finished surveying the house, they settled into their rooms, Zach picking the bedroom on the first floor, just beyond the kitchen, and Chris taking one of the bedrooms upstairs. They were both too tired from their excitement to make dinner more complicated than a simple meal of pasta, a small salad, and wine.

Afterward, they cleaned up the kitchen and sprawled out on the couch. Zach’s foot was resting against Chris’ calf, and they were both flipping through the brochures scattered around them in an attempt to plan out the next couple days.

Zach stretched and yawned. “Is it just me, or did it get cold in here?”

“Hmm, maybe a little. Want to see if the fireplace works?”

Zach leapt gracefully off the couch and walked over to examine it. Minutes later, they were huddled on the floor in front of the crackling fire playing Scrabble. When Zach noticed Chris yawning constantly, he playfully kicked Chris’ foot and suggested that they call it a night. Chris covered his mouth as he yawned again and nodded. They put away the pieces and left the game box on the couch before putting out the flames in the fireplace and saying good night to each other.

Chris barely had the energy to change into his pajama pants before he burrowed under the blankets and sneezed.

 

 

His shivering woke him. It took a couple quick blinks for Chris to remember where he was and why he was freezing. Sitting up in bed, he rubbed his hands up and down his arms and turned on the light. His teeth chattered as he went around the room searching for the radiator, only to find it silent and cold as a block of ice in the far corner. He shuffled back to the bed to grab the fluffy comforter and blankets and wrapped it around his head and shoulders as he left the bedroom.

The rest of the house was just as cold and void of the hissing and bubbling noise the radiators should’ve been making. He hopped in place in front of Zach’s door and knocked lightly. When he didn’t hear anything, he knocked a little louder, calling Zach’s name softly. Finally, he cracked the door open and was greeted by a warm rush of air.

“Zach,” he said again. He slipped inside the room and closed the door. “Hey, Zach,” he repeated, pinching his friend’s toe.

Zach blinked up sleepily at him. “Mmhuh?”

“Hey, there’s something wrong with the radiators. There’s no heat in the house except in your room. Can I stay in here?” Chris whispered. He had already moved to the floor next to the bed and was making a nest with his blankets when Zach spoke.

“What?”

Chris looked up at Zach. “There’s no heat in my room.”

Several seconds went by as Zach processed what was going on. He reached down and plucked at Chris’ sleeve. “Plenty of room in here,” he mumbled and moved over in the bed.

Chris stared at Zach with wide eyes before shaking his head reluctantly. “I... I don’t, maybe it’s not.., you don’t have to--” he stuttered.

“You’re being stupid. I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor. Get in the bed.” Zach grumbled and rolled over onto his back.

Chris was done objecting. He quickly climbed into bed with Zach and kicked his legs out. With the warm blankets pulled up to his chin, he looked over at Zach and smiled, even though Zach’s eyes were closed. He was still shivering and was kicking his legs around to get comfortable when he bumped Zach’s feet.

“Jesus Christ! Are those your feet?!” Zach yelped.

Chris stilled. “Sorry,” he whispered.

Then, without warning, Zach was pressed up against his side, his hands groping under the covers, over Chris’ chest, down his arms.

“Whaaa--” Chris managed.

“Where are your hands?” Zach hissed. His warm hands found Chris’ and he squeezed gently. “You’re freezing.”

“Sorry,” Chris said again, but truthfully, it was difficult to be sorry when Zach’s hands were rubbing his.

“Turn,” Zach whispered, nudging his shoulder. Chris blinked at him. “Come on,” Zach said.

Chris turned so his back was to Zach and felt his friend’s warm body wrap behind his while insistent arms encircled his waist and covered his hands again. Even Zach’s feet found their way around Chris’ ankles. This was both awful and awesome at the same time.

Chris lay there tensely, trying not to shiver, his mind not quite able to comprehend what was happening. Zach’s spooning me.

“Zach?” Chris hesitated.

“Mmph.”

“Umm, thanks,” Chris whispered.

“Make me pancakes in the morning.” The reply was muffled into the skin at the base of Chris’ neck. The vibration resonated down his spine and Chris bit lip from moaning. He stopped breathing for a minute, trying unsuccessfully to stop himself from getting hard. He closed his eyes and prayed desperately for sleep, but it only made him all the more aware of the intimacy of situation.

He waited until Zach’s breathing deepened and tried to shift away from his friend. In the wiggling process, he accidentally brushed his ass against something stiff and blushed when he realized what it was. Chris could’ve convinced himself he imagined it, except Zach tipped his hips forward slightly into Chris’ bottom and moaned just a tiny bit into his neck. It took every ounce of willpower to not rub his ass on Zach, press his backside into the hardness underneath the flannel pants. He concentrated on continuing to gently extract himself from Zach’s arms without waking him. It was futile. Zach wasn’t letting him go. Chris sighed and relented.

Once he got over his panic, he found that he wasn’t cold anymore; Zach’s presence around him, his heartbeat against Chris’ back and his small puffs of breath on the back of his neck, had a soothing effect and soon Chris relaxed into the embrace. He focused on how nice it was to be held, feeling warm, cared for, and protected. Somewhere between consciousness and sleep, Chris deciding that it would be okay, that it could be his own little secret, if, for just tonight, he didn’t have to feel lonely and pretended that this was real.

Sometime during the night, he had twisted around because when he woke, he was facing Zach, who was still asleep, but it was his hand that was now resting loosely on Zach’s hip.

 

 

Chris sighed heavily, dropped his phone with a loud plastic clatter on the breakfast bar, and rubbed his hands over his face.

“Still no luck?” Zach asked. They were both wearing three layers of clothing and scarves.

Chris shook his head from behind his hands. “What are we going to do? The office isn’t open on Sundays,” he whined. “And I can’t find an emergency number anywhere,” Chris continued, gesturing at the printouts of Katie’s e-mails and the brochures in front of him.

“It’s okay, Chris. As along as my room is warm and this bathroom has hot water, we’ll be okay for another night,” Zach said softly.

Walking over to the breakfast bar, he sat next to Chris and pushed the plate of untouched pancakes and eggs closer to his friend.

“You made a yummy breakfast. You should eat it,” Zach suggested with a smile. “And when you’re done, we can go out and get some real coffee, cause I don’t know what this shit is,” he nodded toward the mugs of coffee Chris brewed earlier.

Chris chuckled. “There’s a reason why I to go LaMill.”

While Chris finished his breakfast, Zach fiddled around on his iPhone to see if there was a coffee place in town. They threw on their coats and hats and headed out to the car where they sat, shivering as their fingers hovered in front of the heat vents before they drove off.

Sunday morning in the small New England town was uneventful. After they parked on the main street, Chris went to pick up a copy of the New York Times from the bookstore and Zach headed a few storefronts down to the tea and coffee shop on the corner. The little bell chimed as Chris entered the coffee place and walked up to Zach at the counter with the newspaper tucked under his arm.

“I got our drinks to stay,” Zach whispered to him.

“Oh?” Chris asked, taking his sunglasses off. He glanced around and saw that the only other customers were the elderly couple sitting at a table near the front window.

“It’s quiet.” Zach shrugged and Chris nodded in agreement.

They stayed for a while, sitting at a small round table near the back, silently passing sections of the paper and the crossword back and forth before leaving and getting back into the car. Zach pulled out his phone and read driving directions to Chris, laughing and adamantly refusing to tell him where they were going.

Twenty minutes later, Chris pulled the car into the gravel lot in front of what looked like a long farmhouse, its red paint faded and worn. A child barreled out the door, followed by his mother, a bag of apples in one arm, her purse swinging from the other. Chris looked beyond the country-styled store and saw unending rows of short trees.

“An apple orchard? It’s December, I’m not picking apples in this weather.”

“There’re no apples to be picked this time of year, dummy. We’re going on a little walk. There’s a path that goes up that hill,” he pointed past the weathered farmstore and unbuckled his seat belt.

“Zach, it’s cold.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you bundled up.” Zach smirked and opened the car door.

Pulling his scarf tighter around his neck, Chris cursed under his breath and got out of the car. With a grin, Zach started exaggeratedly hop-skipping backward toward the foot of the path, watching Chris reluctantly follow.

“It won’t be so bad, I promise.”

Chris glared at Zach and jogged after him.

The uphill walk was turning out to be quite pleasant and was keeping Chris warm despite the cold temperature. Winding their way out of some barren apple trees, Zach trudged over to a picnic table, brushed off the dusting of snow, and sat on top of it with his feet resting on the bench. Chris examined the table warily. It looked cold and he knew his ass would freeze if he planted himself on it.

“Oh my god,” Zach groaned. “Would you just turn around?” He grabbed Chris by the arm and spun him so he could see the view.

They were at the top of a hill surrounded by other hills and mountains. Blankets of white covered armies of brown and green trees under a nearly cloudless blue sky. Chris sat next to Zach on the table and felt the sun warming his back.

“It’s beautiful up here,” Chris said quietly.

“Totally worth the hike, huh?”

He nodded and smiled at Zach. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“Let that be a lesson.”

Zach slid closer to Chris as he bit the top of the mitten and yanked it off his left hand. He fished a ziplock bag out of his coat pocket and presented it to Chris, who gave him a confused look.

“Vegan chocolate chip cookies. Although. They’re kind of smashed now.”

Chris laughed and pulled his hand from his pocket to reach for the bag.

“Uhh, you aren’t wearing gloves?” Zach asked.

“I don’t have gloves.”

“The hell is wrong with you? Especially you, of all people, always being cold and whining about ‘where’s my scarf?’ Jesus Christ,” Zach admonished him playfully. He dropped the bag of cookies in Chris’ lap, put his mitten back on, and sandwiched Chris’ hands between his.

“You’re making a habit out of letting me keep you warm,” Zach said softly, his eyes focused on their hands.

Chris blushed. He always kind of thought his hands were bigger than Zach’s, but they currently seemed to be swallowed by Zach’s mitten-clad hands. He felt stupid and girly that his stomach was acknowledging this by doing little flips.

“You didn’t have to do that. Last night, I mean,” he mumbled into his scarf.

Zach tilted his head and chuckled. “You would’ve done the same for me.”

“Of course,” Chris agreed.

He looked up and saw that Zach was staring at him, an honest and gentle expression on his face. In the sunlight, Zach’s eyes appeared gold, his face so small and young, framed by his scarf and ugly purple beanie. Chris wanted to trace his finger down his pink nose. He wanted to say something, tell Zach that he wanted to kiss him last night, and maybe later, back at the house, maybe they could... but he just stared back. Then Zach blinked and Chris’ confession died on his tongue as the moment passed.

Zach cleared his throat. “Hand me a cookie?”

Slowly, Chris pulled his hands away from Zach’s and opened the bag with a small snap. He picked out the least smashed cookie and placed it on the upturned palm of Zach’s mitten.

“How are you going to eat that with a mitten?” Chris asked.

Without hesitation, Zach took off his other mitten and handed it to him. “Put it on,” he instructed softly.

Chris looked up at Zach from under his eyelashes, knowing that he was blushing again and hoped that Zach would think it was from the cold. He gratefully slipped the fleece-lined mitten on his hand and heard Zach chewing on the vegan cookie. The mitten was warm, just like everything else about Zach, Chris thought, and realized that he was now officially a love-struck thirteen-year-old girl.

 

 

They were standing on opposite sides of Zach’s bed, avoiding eye contact. Zach slipped into bed, Chris following, making sure to leave a good amount of space between them. The room fell silent as they both laid on their sides, backs to each other. If Chris was still enough, he could almost feel Zach’s heartbeat through the mattress they were sharing.

He shut his eyes and tried to not think about how gorgeous Zach looked earlier when they were sitting on the picnic table. Or the way the corner of Zach’s eyes crinkled when he laughed as they were dancing around to Christmas music and chopping vegetables in the kitchen. Or the way Zach had smiled at him over dinner, thanking him again for inviting him to the house.

Zach seemed happy and that made Chris feel good about this trip, even if nothing were to happen between them.

The bed dipped as Zach shifted.

“Chris, are you still awake?” Zach whispered hesitantly.

“I’m awake,” Chris whispered in reply.

There was a pause before he gasped at Zach’s touch, a fingertip on Chris’ back, slowly drawing something, a letter, then another, and another. Chris held his breath, concentrating on the words being spelled out on his back, wondering if Zach could feel his heart racing beneath his t-shirt. When Zach stopped, Chris strung together the words, a question, and flipped around in bed to face Zach.

“Yeah,” he said softly.

He hovered over Zach, cupped his face, and leaned forward to bring their lips together. It was slow, experimental. He covered Zach’s body with his as Zach’s hands worked their way under the back of Chris’ shirt, fingertips tracing little patterns everywhere on his skin. He felt the tip of Zach’s tongue along his bottom lip before Zach gently sucked his lip into his mouth. Chris’ ground his hips against his friend’s, making Zach gasp and toss his head back. Smiling into his skin, Chris kissed and nibbled his way down his neck while Zach’s hands gathered up the fabric at the hem of Chris’ shirt.

“Take this off,” Zach breathed.

“You take yours off, too,” Chris panted into the dip between his neck and his clavicle.

They separated for a second, Chris sitting back and straddling Zach’s thighs and Zach sitting up so they could frantically lose their shirts. As soon as he saw Zach untangle his gangly arm from his shirt, Chris pinned him down again, kissing him and smoothing his hands up his sides. Zach pulled away again.

“Still too much clothes.” He pushed gently at Chris, who propped himself up with one arm, but refused to move otherwise.

“You mean, the bottom half?” Chris asked confused.

“Yes, the bottom half. You know how this works, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I just, cause how, I mean, I don’t,” Chris fumbled, sitting back.

“Oh my god. You don't want to,” Zach whispered gravely and threw an arm over his face.

“No no no. That’s not what I meant. I want to, but I, uhh...”

Zach peaked at him. “You what.”

Chris stared at him.

“Chris, please just say--”

“I didn’t bring lube or condoms,” Chris blurted out.

It was Zach’s turn to stare. He shoved Chris off him and stumbled over to root around in his duffle bag. He tossed a tube and a strip of condoms onto the bed.

Chris blinked dumbly as he picked up the condoms. “You came prepared. That means you thought, I mean, how long have you--”

Zach poured himself into Chris’ lap and took his face in both his hands. “You’re adorable when you’re confused. But stop talking and get in my pants.”

Chris nodded and dumped Zach onto the bed. Their eager hands worked to take off each other’s pants and underwear until they were both naked and kneeling in the middle of the bed. Zach pounced on Chris, kissing him and licking into his mouth as his hands explored up his arms, across the back of his shoulders, down his backside to squeeze it appreciatively before rounding over his hip and belly. Chris felt like his skin was on fire in the chilly room. A hand cautiously wrapped around him, stroking it slowly, as if asking for permission, and Chris answered by jutting his hips forward, pressing himself against the hardness that was bobbing in front of Zach’s belly, and making him hiss.

Chris pushed at Zach’s shoulders until he was lying on his back. He felt Zach’s fingers in his hair as he placed a trail of kisses down his chest to his taut abdomen, his own fingertips teasing Zach’s nipples and brushing through the dark chest hair. He dragged the tip of his nose and his lips up Zach’s length, lifting his eyes to Zach’s as he breathed on the sensitive skin. The room filled with the sound of Zach’s whining and panting. Chris took him in his mouth, watching Zach watch him, and moaned when Zach bucked his hips in response to a sudden flick of Chris’ tongue.

“Chris,” Zach warned. “Want you inside me.” With frantic hands, he held up the lube and looked at Chris pleadingly.

Chris smiled and gave Zach one last lick before taking the lube from Zach. “Yeah?”

Zach nodded, tracing Chris’ bottom lip with his thumb.

The needy and impatient sounds coming from Zach made Chris aware that his gentle and thorough preparation was taking too long. Zach was shamelessly humping the air by the time Chris reached for the condom and Chris had to struggle and hold his hips still so he could press into him. Zach pulled his right knee up to his chest and Chris leaned forward, placing his right hand next to Zach’s head to support his weight. Slowly, he pushed in more as his left hand massaged Zach’s calf, extending the leg and hugging it to him.

A low moan escaped Chris when he was completely buried within Zach and he turned his head to rub and kiss the inside of Zach’s ankle before pulling back slightly and then pressing in again. He felt Zach’s hands squeezing his waist and then moving lower, gripping the sides of his thighs and feeling the way his muscles moved as he began canting his hips faster into Zach. His skin was so pale and smooth over his slender frame and long limbs, and his flexibility was just fucking hot that Chris had to close his eyes at one point to keep from coming right away. Chris was gasping and moaning along with Zach’s stuttered breathing when Zach began stroking himself rapidly. Seconds later, he watched Zach’s head tip back as he came over his fist and chest, clenching around Chris and sending him over the edge after him.

Chris felt Zach’s fingertips tracing along his spine as he lay collapsed on top of him. They stayed like that, chest to chest, synchronizing their heartbeats until their breathing slowed and their sweat cooled.

“You wanna get cleaned up?” Zach whispered.

Chris rolled off Zach and stood up on unsteady feet and reached out for Zach’s hand to help him off the bed. A cold blast of air hit them as they left the bedroom and hurried to the bathroom. Under the warm spray of the shower, Chris hugged Zach and tucked his head into the crook of his neck.

“We should call again about the heat tomorrow,” Zach suggested.

With a small hum, Chris mumbled sleepily, “Or we could stay in bed all day.” He felt Zach’s soapy hands gliding over his back and his shoulders.

“But there’s a Jacuzzi upstairs,” Zach said into his ear. “We should really take advantage of that.” He tapped playfully on Chris’ ass.

With wide eyes, Chris looked up at Zach. “I’ll call first thing in the morning,” he promised.

“That’s what I thought.” Zach grinned and Chris snuggled back into his warm embrace.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Zach continue their stay at the cottage and end up in NYC.

“It’s like, not even five in the afternoon and you want to take a bath? We could save it for later. You know, after dinner,” Chris suggested.

He looked over his shoulder at Zach, who had his arms crossed and was visibly pouting.

Their day had gotten off to a late start. The two of them were reluctant to get out of bed after some slow, lazy sex under the morning sunlight that poured in from the window. Just after eleven, Chris decided that he had to at least call the managing office about the heat and dragged himself out of bed, smiling at the way Zach was laying on his side appreciating his naked form.

They had returned from their coffee and grocery store run to a warm house and a note profusely apologizing for the inconvenience with an offer for another complimentary stay at any of the other nearby properties owned by the company.

“I have _other plans_ for us after dinner,” Zach explained impatiently.

Zach stepped close to him and unexpectedly tipped his hips forward into Chris’ backside making Chris drop the utensils into the soapy dishwater. His fingers attempted to search through the suds when Zach’s hands wormed their way into the front pockets of his jeans, tracing the outline of Chris’ growing erection while his body pressed into him from behind. A warm set of lips rested on the back of his neck.

“The dishes can wait,” Zach insisted and nibbled on the tender skin behind his ear.

“But there’s just a couple more--”

A metal bowl fell into the sink with a clatter as Zach thrust his hips again, pinning Chris and the hard swell in his pants against the counter for a moment. Chris’s knees buckled and he twisted in Zach’s arms.

“Okay, now is a good time,” Chris agreed quickly.

Chris almost wanted to laugh at the gleeful expression on Zach’s face as he hurried Chris up the stairs ahead of him, drumming on his behind with each step. The door to the bathroom was half-closed, but even from the hallway Chris could see the glow and flicker of candlelight. He nudged the door open all the way and was greeted by little white candles scattered around the bathroom, on the counter, and by the enormous tub where the water jets hummed softly. The orange flames seemed to wave at Chris’ upon his arrival.

“Where did you find candles?” He turned to face Zach.

Zach shrugged vaguely and removed Chris’ black-framed glasses from his face. He smiled at Chris and placed the glasses next to the sink before his fingers began unbuttoning Chris’ jeans. Chris’ own hands were busy trying to untangle his cardigan and t-shirt from his arms.

Zach’s fingers plucked at his waistband, snapping it against his skin, and Chris swiftly bent sideways slightly to lose his jeans and briefs in one motion. In the meantime, Zach had pulled off his three layers of sweaters and striped shirts and had begun peeling his own tight jeans from his long, slender legs. Chris laughed as Zach hopped around on one foot, tugging at the denim. Stepping forward, Chris caught him as an arm flailed out for balance.

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?” Chris said affectionately, kissing Zach’s neck and shoulders.

He felt Zach’s hands on his back, scratching lightly. Chris pushed up against Zach’s so that their bodies were flush and their erections rubbed together. His hands smoothed over Zach’s pale skin and chest hair as he sank to his knees in front of him. Chris watched as Zach’s hard length twitched in anticipation, just an inch from his lips, and grinned when Zach gasped at the feel of Chris’ breath on him. Blinking up at Zach, Chris tasted him with a small lick at the tip. It was making him even harder to see Zach’s half-lidded eyes and slackened mouth.

“God, Chris,” Zach breathed, his hands threading through Chris’ hair.

A memory of the night before flashed in his head and Chris pressed his nose and his lips along the length of the swollen flesh, teasingly rubbed his face on it, and was rewarded with a low and throaty moan. With a long lick, Chris traced up the underside and flicked his tongue at the swollen tip again before taking in as much as he could, his pink lips stretched around Zach and his hand twisting at the base. Under the hand that rested on Zach’s hip, Chris could feel the tension and restraint Zach was exerting to not plunge himself into Chris’ mouth. He soothingly traced the jutted hipbone with his thumb as he lapped and sucked to the sound of Zach’s encouragement until there was a gentle prod at this shoulder. Pulling off him, Chris let Zach help him onto his feet and guide him toward the tub. A yellow rubber ducky bobbed cheerfully on top of the tiny ripples at the far end.

“The water’s going to cool soon,” Zach said.

Chris dipped a toe in and drew it back quickly. “Uhh, doubtful. The water’s hot enough to melt my nuts.”

“ _I’m_ going to melt your nuts when I get my hands on you, now get in,” Zach rasped in his ear. Chris laughed and started to climb inside.

The water was warm around his legs, extremely warm, and Chris hesitated before taking a deep breath and dropping himself in to sit at the bottom. The water came up almost to his nipples and he relaxed further, slipping lower and letting the waves from the jet next to him bounce off his thigh. Zach sank into the tub on his knees across from him, straddling his legs and placing his hands on Chris’ waist.

A splash of water hit his face as Zach leaned forward and dipped his shoulders below the surface of the water. Chris grinned as Zach floated over to cup his face and kiss him. One of Zach’s hands cradled his head to lick and bite tenderly at Chris’ lips, while the other one stayed under the water to wrap around Chris. He slid his hand along Chris, squeezing lightly and rubbing his thumb over the tip, before his hand descended to cup Chris’ balls, rolling them in his fingers.

Throwing his head back with his eyes closed, Chris broke the kiss and his hands pulled Zach’s hips closer to his, trapping Zach’s wrist between their pelvises. When he opened his eyes, he saw Zach staring intensely at him before he felt Zach move his hand and grip them both at the same time. Chris’ mouth fell open at the feel of them being stroked together and couldn’t help as his hips bucked into Zach’s hand, rubbing himself along Zach. He watched as Zach thrust into his own hand, which was barely moving, the water around them splashing erratically with their increased movements, extinguishing a couple of the candles along the perimeter of the tub and sending the rubber ducky over the side.

Chris licked at his lips and panted, his fingers digging into Zach’s hips.

“Zach, I’m--”

“C’mon, Chris,” Zach whispered. “C’mon.”

With another squeeze, Chris sobbed and gasped for air as he came. Zach’s grip slowed and he felt Zach let go of him to finish himself off. Chris tried to keep his eyes open, knowing that Zach was close from his shallow breathing.

“Zach, please,” he begged. Suddenly, Zach was crying out and warmth hit Chris in the abdomen.

Still in his lap, Zach rested his head on Chris’ shoulder and kissed his neck. The sound of their panting died and the water on their skin cooled. Reluctantly, Zach sat up, smiling ruefully.

“I didn’t even get to put your ass up to the jets,” he lamented.

“Would I have liked that?” Chris replied with a worried expression.

“Oh, you would’ve loved it,” Zach said with a knowing grin.

 

 

An hour later, they were back in the kitchen and Zach was groping Chris from behind again as he stood at the stove tending to their dinner.

“It smells good,” Zach commented over his shoulder.

“It’s going to taste amazing.”

“Obviously,” Zach snorted. “I see bacon in there.”

“Yup, we need to fatten you back up,” Chris said, flipping a pork chop.

“Like you should talk.” Zach pressed a kiss to Chris’ shoulder and his hands moved under the front of his shirt to pat his stomach. “What happened to this?” Zach asked into the back of his neck. It was one of Zach’s favorite places on Chris, he’d realized.

“What do you mean?”

“Your tummy,” Zach clarified. His fingertips slid under Chris’ waistband.

“Hey!” Chris jumped and yelped with a grin as Zach sprang back and squealed with laughter.

He playfully lunged at Zach and hugged him around the waist from behind. Flirting with Zach had always come naturally and Chris found that he was enjoying the new freedom of being able to touch Zach however he wanted when they were alone without being conscientious of not crossing a certain line.

A pop from the pan reminded Chris of the dinner he was cooking and he let go of Zach to shuffle back to the stove.

Clearing his throat, Chris’ expression turned serious. “So, when did you first... you know...” he trailed off quietly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zach leaning on the counter and studying him with his arms crossed.

“A while ago.” Zach paused. “A couple years ago, maybe,” he confessed softly. Chris looked over and saw Zach tracing his finger along the side of a glass, his brow furrowed.

“Yeah,” Chris answered with a tiny smile and waited for Zach to meet his gaze before turning his attention back to the pork chops that were simmering in the pan. “Are we incredibly clueless or what?” Chris chuckled.

“We’re incredibly _something_ , for sure,” Zach said, inching closer and hooking his finger in one of Chris’ belt loops.

 

 

“We’re just a huge cliché, aren’t we?” Chris said breathlessly as Zach kissed down his neck and fumbled with the ties on this pants. “Fucking in front of the fireplace?”

“You’re going to look delicious once I get your ass naked.”

In the time it took for Chris to change into pajamas, Zach had also changed and had hefted an armload of blankets and a pillow from the hall closet and spread everything out between the coffee table and the burning logs. Chris returned to the living room prepared to read quietly or play a board game, but stopped short when he saw Zach lying on his side in the middle of the floor of the dark room illuminated only by the bright flames. _I guess this is what he meant by ‘ other plans’_ , Chris thought.

With Zach on top of him and still attached to his neck, Chris tried to slip his sweatpants off. He touched Zach’s arm and nudged him gently. “Get undressed.” Zach pulled back, his lips parted and swollen, and nodded.

As Zach turned to toss his clothes in the direction of the couch, Chris laughed and tackled him, pinning him to the blankets with his naked body and his arm. He kissed Zach’s nose and brushed his hair back. The flickering light cast a golden hue on Zach’s skin and Chris ran his fingertip from the dark eyebrows and down his cheek, feeling the stubble along his jaw. He rested his head on Zach’s shoulder and brushed his thumb across his lips. Zach pursed his lips and kissed his thumb before licking it and pulling it into his mouth, biting playfully at the tip.

“I’ll be right back,” Chris whispered and began to push himself up.

Zach made a small noise of protest and caught his wrist. He kissed the center of Chris’ palm. “Next to the pillow,” he said.

Squinting, Chris looked over and saw the lube and three condoms. _Three? Really?_

Zach let go of his wrist so Chris could fetch the items. When Chris kneeled back down next to Zach, he rubbed his hands over Zach’s chest. He sat on his heels and watched as his fingers disappeared among the dark hair.

“Can I, umm,” he started hesitantly. “Do you want to switch?” he asked quietly, his lips barely moving.

Sitting up to face him, Zach placed a hand on his thigh and squeezed gently. “Is that what you want?”

Chris’ hand moved up to curl around Zach’s neck as he nodded, his stomach fluttering again. He brought their foreheads together and it felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. It was a mystery to him how Zach could so easily have this kind of effect on him.

“You sure?” Zach asked softly, cradling his face.

A small smile crept across his face and he leaned forward to kiss Zach, wrapping his hands around Zach’s wrists. He leaned back and pulled Zach with him, the two of them landing in a pile of limbs. With his eyes closed, he could feel the smile on Zach’s lips as he kissed and nipped at his jaw and over his shoulders and chest. His fingers tangled in Zach’s hair as he concentrated on the way Zach was touching him, his hands soft and tender. Each point of contact felt like his skin was on fire, like Zach was burning into him.

Zach smoothed his hands down his sides and sat up to roll Chris onto his stomach. Pillowing his head on his folded arms, Chris watched the flames lick upward and kick at the air as Zach kneeled next to him and continued reverently kissing and caressing the muscles in his back, licking at the birthmark that usually made him so self-conscious. He felt curious fingertips drawing invisible lines from freckle to freckle.

He couldn’t help the moan that escaped him when Zach reached that sensitive area on his lower back and again he felt Zach’s smile against his skin. The pounding in his chest was thrumming in his head now, as Zach began kneeding the soft muscle of his backside. He felt Zach’s breath on him right before a sharp and unexpected pain on his left ass cheek made him jerk. Shock colored his features as he twisted around to look at Zach.

“Did you just bite my ass?” he asked incredulously.

Zach was crouched over him, biting the inside of his lip and looking at Chris with an expression of sheepish satisfaction.

“It’s just so... round. Like an overripe peach or something.”

Sitting up, Chris covered his face and laughed. “Oh my god.” His shoulders shook and he wrapped his arms tightly around Zach. Minutes passed as they kissed slowly, mapping out one another’s mouths with their tongues.

“I’ve never bottomed before,” Chris whispered into his ear and he felt Zach freeze. The fingers that were tracing patterns on his back stilled. He kissed Zach again and licked at his own lip, noticing that he tasted like Zach. He reached for the lube before taking one of Zach’s hands and placing the plastic tube in it. He tried not to make analogies or think about the romantic symbolism of how he’d just placed his trust and about a dozen emotions he was afraid to verbalize into the palm of Zach’s hands; if he were to be heartbroken, he’d rather have Zach holding the shattered fragments of his dignity than anyone else.

“You have to stop me if it’s too much, okay?” Zach pleaded, uncapping the tube.

Chris gave him a coy smile and nodded before lying back and resting his head on the pillow. His eyes never left Zach’s as he felt the first finger enter him. The only other time he’d tried this was during what he thought was an experimental phase in college, and that had ended with him redressing awkwardly and abruptly leaving the guy’s dorm room after he had barely inserted his fingertip in Chris. There was no nervousness this time around, not with the tenderness in Zach’s face and the gentleness of the fingers in him while the other hand rubbed soothingly on his stomach. A rush of lust flooded his stomach and he moaned loudly as Zach probed him, carefully brushing along the small spot that made his toes curl and his eyes roll back.

“You doing okay?” Zach asked quietly and withdrew his fingers to wrestle open a condom.

“Yeah,” Chris replied. “Hurry, I’m so hard it fucking hurts,” he whined.

“Oh poor baby,” Zach mocked.

He bent over Chris with a smile and kissed his nose, his mouth, his hand, and his chest. Wrapping his hand around Chris, he gave him a few strokes and lifted his hips and thighs. Chris sucked in a deep breath as Zach pushed into him slowly. It felt a lot bigger than he thought it would. When Zach saw his hands fisted in the blankets, he stilled and rubbed his hands down his arms.

“Breathe, Chris. Tell me if you want to stop.”

“Keep going,” Chris whispered and pulled his knee as close to his chest as he could.

Zach began pushing in again, hovering over Chris and bracing himself on his arms. Chris gasped when he felt Zach’s hips flush against him and involuntarily clenched around him.

“ _Chris_ ,” Zach gritted out.

“C’mon, I’m good to go. Let’s get to the ass pounding,” Chris goaded him.

Chris saw his eyes narrow before he pulled out a couple inches and sharply thrust back into him.

“Oww, fucking hell, Zach!” Chris yelled.

Strong fingers entwined with his and brought his hands up above his head. Zach’s hips rocked him gently as his face came into view.

“I can make this awesome or I can make the car ride back to the city tomorrow excruciatingly painful.” Zach’s voice was low. Chris felt a drop of moisture on his belly and realized that he was leaking on himself.

“Option A. Make it awesome,” Chris choked out.

A hand moved one of his legs to hook it around Zach’s waist and he felt Zach pumping in and out of him gingerly. He held onto Zach’s hip and soon he was moaning along with Zach’s little grunts. Zach tilted his hips up and suddenly bursts of something electric rippled up his spine, making his mouth fall open in a gasp. Chris threw his head back and let out a whine when he felt Zach jacking him quickly and running his thumb over the tip. Squeezing Zach’s side, he came with a surprised shout on his own chest.

“Fuck,” Zach groaned and Chris felt him speed up for a few seconds before pushing as far inside him as possible, the tremor of Zach’s orgasm vibrating deep within his belly.

Chris reached up and grabbed Zach by the shoulders to pull him down, crashing their lips together. They rolled onto their sides and held onto each other while the sounds of their ragged breathing filled the room.

 

 

Zach returned with more blankets and cocooned them together in front of the fire, their heads resting on the same pillow. He tucked himself behind Chris, his hand at his waist and his nose and lips against the base of his neck. Chris snuggled into the blankets and pulled Zach’s arms tighter around him.

“Chris?” Zach asked quietly.

“Hmm?”

“When do you go back to LA?”

Chris blinked. “My flight leaves tomorrow night.”

“Oh.”

The heat from the flames radiated warmly on Chris’ face. A log snapped and dissolved into a series of crackles.

“Stay with me? Just another day or two?” Chris didn’t so much hear the words as he felt them pressed into his skin.

Chris smiled as Zach’s toe traced the arch of his foot. “Okay, yeah.”

Something in his chest fluttered with giddiness and he didn’t fight to tamp it down this time. He gave Zach’s hand a small squeeze and closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort of Zach wrapped around him and knowing with certainty that it wouldn’t be the last night they’d spend like this.

 

~*~

 

Against his better judgment, Chris turned his head slightly toward the commotion two rows back and a few seats over. The three young women quickly looked away, pretending they hadn’t been squealing about his presence just seconds ago. He knew he heard his name. Chris sat a bit lower in his seat and was about to flip through the program again when the lights dimmed and the third act began.

An hour later, the light came up and he found himself full of raw emotion, the thundering arrival of The Angel still rumbling through his chest and his mind. He waited until most of the people had filed out of the theater before he stood up and walked toward the side of the stage. Throwing a quick glance around, he walked backstage in search of Zach. Around the corner, a girl with a headset looked up and was about to stop him when her eyes widened. He gave her a polite smile and pointed down the hallway. She bit her lip and nodded.

“Second room on your right,” she called after him. He gave her a small salute and continued down the hall.

Poking his head in room, he saw Zach chatting with a castmate and tying the lace to his boot. He quietly slipped in and stood by the door, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Zach threw his backpack on and turned to leave when he spotted Chris. A huge grin stretched across his face and Chris couldn’t help but smile back as Zach walked over to him. Zach’s hands came up, almost touching Chris’ face, forgetful that there were other people around, and instead he blinked and tightened the scarf around Chris’ neck.

“You were amazing,” Chris whispered.

He watched as Zach’s blushed and shrugged. “I was alright.”

“Stop that. I’m so proud of you.” Chris poked him in the stomach for emphasis.

“Thanks. I’m glad you were able to see it,” Zach said softly.

“Me too.” Chris smiled and poked him again. “I’ve been spotted, though.”

Zach barked out a laugh. “Oh well, it was bound to happen.”

On their way out of the theater, a few people stopped Zach and asked for autographs. Chris was aware of the curious looks in his direction, but hung back and patiently watched as Zach graciously received compliments and posed for photos; this was Zach’s moment and Chris felt another swell of emotion rise in him.

After Zach signed the last Playbill, he grinned at Chris and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“You wanna get something to eat?” he asked, gesturing toward the sidewalk with a tilt of his head.

“Yeah, I’m starving.”

Chris pulled Zach’s mittens out of his pockets and tugged them on his hands. They arrived back at Zach’s in the mid-afternoon and the first thing Zach did was dig out a pair of gloves from a trunk under his bed and shove his mittens into Chris’ coat pockets.

They walked halfway down the street before Zach hailed a cab.

“So, Part 2 tomorrow night?” Chris asked once Zach had slid into the backseat next to him.

“Yeah, I already asked them to set aside a ticket for you. I have Part 1 in the afternoon, though. You’ll be okay by yourself for a while?”

“I’ll manage,” Chris said with a yawn.

The drive back to the city was tiring. After a long winded phone call with the car rental company, it ended up being cheaper and less hassle for Chris to drop the car off at JFK that afternoon than extending his reservation for another two days. Zach had rested his head on Chris’ shoulder and they both had almost fallen asleep in the cab ride back from the airport. Now, after sitting through the first half of the seven-hour play, Chris was completely exhausted. He wasn’t sure how Zach was still awake having performed on stage for over three hours.

The restaurant was half empty when they walked in and Chris was thankful that their food arrived at their table within minutes of their order being placed. They ate in a comfortable silence and hopped back in yet another a cab to return to Zach’s place.

Shuffling into the apartment, Chris toed off his shoes, shrugged his coat off, and made a beeline for Zach’s bed, where he collapsed on his stomach with his eyes closed. He grunted when he felt Zach tugging off his socks and rolled onto his side to look down at him.

“Tired,” Chris mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

“I know, me too,” Zach replied and patted Chris’ thigh. He walked over to his dresser and changed into a pair of striped pajama pants and a grey wife-beater before heading to the bathroom. Chris closed his eyes again, listening to the muffled sound of the water running. He drifted off momentarily. The few minutes that Zach was gone felt like they stretched on for hours until Zach padded back into the bedroom and sat next to him on the bed.

“Do you want to brush your teeth? Take out your contacts?”

Chris threw his arms up and wiggled his fingers. “Ugh, help me,” he whined.

“Such a baby,” Zach sighed and pulled on Chris’ arms until he sat up. He laughed as Chris passively resisted being hauled to his feet. “Bathroom. Go,” Zach instructed with a playful slap to Chris’ ass.

He stumbled to the small bathroom, flipped on the light, and paused in the doorway when he saw that Zach had unpacked his toiletries for him and lined them up on the tiny shelf above the toilet, next to some of Zach’s own bottles. His blue toothbrush stood opposite of Zach’s green one in a plastic cup behind the faucet, as if its presence was a necessary balance and prevented the cup from tipping over into the sink.

The way his belongings mixed with Zach’s looked too natural, mirroring their effortless transition from friends to whatever they were now, and that feeling of hope and anticipation fluttered in his chest again. Chris brushed his teeth and finished his nightly ritual quickly, smiling to himself the entire time.

When he returned to the bedroom, Zach was on his side already tucked into bed. Instead of rifling through his duffle for his sleepwear, he grinned and went over to the dresser, pulling out the same drawer Zach did earlier and hummed as he picked out flannel pants and a worn black t-shirt. Zach watched with an amused expression as Chris changed into his clothes. Chris pulled the comforter back and slipped into bed with a chuckle.

They were both on their sides, studying each others’ faces in the dark. Chris flipped onto his stomach and pressed his hand to Zach’s chest.

“If I ask you something, would you tell me the truth?” he asked.

“Of course.”

Chris’ fingertips scratched idly on Zach’s chest.

“Is it too soon for me to be farting in your bed?”

Even in the dark, Chris could see the absolute shock on Zach’s face.

“Oh my god.” A hand full of seconds passed before Zach started his high pitched giggling.

Chris began laughing too, which only made Zach wheeze harder. After they caught their breaths and their shoulders stopped shaking, Zach brushed his fingers through Chris’ hair.

“What am I going to do with you, Chris?” he breathed with a sigh and inched closer to him. “God, what am I going to do _without_ you?”

 

 

A couple inches of snow had fallen overnight and Chris was vibrating with glee. After breakfast, they walked, and in some cases, leapt, through the park and Chris marveled at how peaceful everything looked while covered in a blanket of white. It wasn’t often that he got to see snow. Zach had grabbed him at one point and shoved him into a pristine and untouched patch among the fields, prompting a snowball fight that ended up with them rolling on top of each other in a manner that was bordering on being inappropriate for public display. They reluctantly got up and dusted off whatever snow they could and began walking back toward Zach’s apartment. Chris was doubtful that he really had as much snow on his ass as Zach had insisted, but he only mildly protested when Zach swiped at it occasionally during the walk home.

“Feel free to use my laptop if you need to,” Zach said as he wound his scarf around his neck. “I’ll call if it looks like I’ll be running late, but I should be able to meet you at the restaurant around 5:30.”

“Sounds good,” Chris replied, following him to the door. Zach pulled on his coat and opened the door to leave, but turned back at the last second and looked at Chris with an unreadable expression.

Tipping his head to the side, Chris gave him a little frown. “What’s up?”

Zach leaned his head on the door with his hand on the doorknob, chewing on his lower lip and blushing wildly.

“I’m happy this week happened.” He paused and tapped his fingers on the doorframe. “Even though we both, you know...” Zach gestured with his hand. “Maybe this was just the right time for us. And it took a stupid broken radiator for us to figure ourselves out.”

Chris smiled and stepped up to him, cupping his face gently, and pressed their lips together. He held Zach close to him to whisper directly into his ear. Zach mouthed the words back against the corner of his goofy grin and rubbed his thumb over Chris’ bottom lip. It felt surreal to be standing in the doorway of Zach’s apartment and confessing such things to each other.

Chris gave him an exaggerated pout when finally Zach said he had to go. He watched as Zach walked toward the stairs, throwing him another smile and a small wave over his shoulder. Five minutes of him fidgeting in the living room passed before he grabbed the spare keys off the counter and headed out into the cold afternoon.

 

 

“You have to keep your eyes closed, okay?” Chris pleaded.

“I promised, like, four times,” Zach said with his hands over his eyes as Chris fiddled with the keys to his apartment.

Chris had bounded up to him in the lobby after the show with wide and glassy eyes, the left corner of his mouth crooked up in a tiny smile. Not caring if anyone saw, he threw his arms around Zach buried his face in his neck to compose himself before he gushed about how wonderful Zach’s performance had been. On their way home, he nearly walked into a lamp post as he bounced with excitement about the surprise he had for Zach at his apartment.

Chris closed the front door, flipped all the locks, and spun Zach around so he was facing the door. Hurrying over to the coffee table, he took the plug and attached it to the extension cord that snaked behind the couch.

“Okay, you can look now.”

Zach’s hands dropped from his face and he turned around slowly. When his eyes fell on the two-foot tall Christmas tree adorned with little white lights and topped with a pair of white and crookedly cut-out angel wings taped behind a picture of John Cho, his mouth fell open in a look of complete wonder before he directed his gaze to Chris.

“Oh my god,” he breathed. Taking three huge steps, he wrapped Chris in a tight embrace and kissed him. “I’m, oh my god,” he said, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

Chris chuckled and patted his arm. “It’s a little pine tree. Go take a look,” he told Zach.

Taking off his coat and loosening his scarf, Zach sat on his couch and reached out to touch one of the green branches. Chris removed his coat and plopped down next to Zach.

“You printed these off my computer?” Zach asked, his fingers touching and tracing the circular photos of Noah, Harold, and himself with various family and friends, including Chris, that were hanging like ornaments from untwisted paperclips on the branches.

“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. I looked through your photos folder. By the way, why is Harold evil looking in every picture you have of him?”

Zach shook his head. “He’s a cat. Chris, I can’t believe you did all this while I was gone.”

With a shrug, Chris placed his hand on Zach’s knee. “You seemed so disappointed when you were talking about being away from Joe and your pets for Christmas, and your mom being in Ireland this year,” he explained softly. “And, I’m so sorry, I wish I could stay another few days to spend Christmas with you, but I have to get back for a bunch of meetings I’ve been putting off...” He took a deep breath. “I thought maybe it would be nice to have something that made everyone feel not so far away.”

He watched as Zach studied each picture with a broad smile, laughing at some, cooing at the ones of Noah and Harold.

“What are these?” Zach picked up one of the many small blue envelopes that were arranged under the tree, each one slightly larger than a gift tag.

“Oh, those,” Chris laughed nervously. “Okay, don’t judge,” he warned.

Zach turned to him and raised an eyebrow. Chris licked his lip.

“I didn’t know what to get you for Christmas,” he blurted. “And I got kind of sad when I thought about how I have to leave tomorrow so I started writing in my notebook. Then I realized that I could leave what I’d written as notes, one thought for every day that you’ll be here until you come back to LA. And that could kind of be my gift to you.” He ducked his head and ran a hand over his face when he realized how sappy it sounded. “The cards are dated, so you have to read them in order.”

“You left me love notes,” Zach said slowly.

“They’re not-- okay, when I say it like that, it sort of sounds _like_ , but they’re not--,” Chris licked at his lip again and sighed in defeat. “Yeah, okay. I left you a series of love notes and profane stick figure drawings.”

They sat on the couch staring at each other for a few seconds before Zach placed the envelope back under the tree and reached for the hand on his knee.

“You’re so seriously old-school romantic, Chris, it’s kind of amazing. Thank you for doing this.” He brought Chris’ hand to his lips and kissed it.

Chris placed his hand on Zach’s cheek and moved to straddle him on the couch. Turning his head to the side, Zach closed his eyes and kissed at the inside of Chris’ wrist, rubbing his nose at the tender skin there. Chris bent his head to kiss Zach’s cheek and ran his lips across the stubble on his jaw. Eager hands gripped Chris’ hips and wove their way underneath his shirt to trace circles on his back. When their lips finally met, Chris felt a warmth curl in his belly, like something inside him fluttered before melting and winding its way through his veins, making his head dizzy and his fingertips tremble.

Somehow Zach had maneuvered himself on top of Chris, pinning him to the couch cushions while his head was propped on the plush armrest. He watched with parted lips as Zach slid down his torso and settled himself between Chris’ knees to unbutton his fly and massage the hardness in his briefs. Shifting slightly, he let Zach tug his jeans and underwear down to his thighs to take him into his mouth, holding his hips down with his hands. Chris arched his back with a low moan when he felt the back of Zach’s throat along with a suctioning pressure around him. The rest of the living room faded away as Zach intermittently flattened his tongue against the underside and then flicked right around the tip, forcing Chris to bite his own lip to keep from crying out too loud.

“Zach, you have to stop,” he muttered with a firm push on Zach’s shoulder.

Zach sat back and rubbed his hipbones with his thumbs before going to the bedroom. Chris hastily pulled his t-shirt and cardigan and off and kicked his bottoms as Zach returned, placing some things on the coffee table. With a huge grin, Chris began to push Zach’s sweater up, freeing one arm at a time, then carefully pulling over his head. He dropped the sweater and began doing the same with the striped long-sleeve shirt Zach had been wearing underneath. There was something Chris found incredibly intimate about undressing Zach, like his body was some kind of secret that Chris could reveal as he slowly removed one article of clothing at a time.

Eventually, Zach’s impatience won out and after a weak attempt at prepping, he had Chris on his back again, whimpering and cursing as Zach sank onto him. Chris reached his hands up and pressed his palms to Zach’s chest, noticing the contrast of the dark hair against the pale skin. His hands traveled up and rubbed along Zach’s neck before they touched the smooth skin of his shoulders. He let them follow Zach’s long arms down to his wrists on either side of Chris’ head.

“You’re memorizing me,” Zach whispered, knees and thighs against Chris’ sides as he gently rocked on his hips, barely pulling out an inch before sinking back down.

Chris nodded and returned his hands to the center of Zach’s chest, feeling the rapid drumming of his heart. Tipping his head forward, Zach leaned toward Chris and began moving with a fast determination. Chris grabbed at Zach’s shoulders, his arms, before he settled his hands on his narrow waist. They were both gasping and uttering moans when Zach took the hand that was resting on his hip and moved it between them. Chris nodded again and their fists worked together, stroking and squeezing Zach, while Chris placed a foot on the floor to give him the leverage to thrust up into him.

Zach stilled above him and Chris watched as his mouth fell open right as he clenched around him, pushing Chris closer to the edge. When the spots of dampness spilled over their hands and across his abdomen and chest, Chris felt himself fall and float away, pulsing inside Zach, who was still shuddering through his own orgasm.

Minutes later, they were cuddled in Zach’s bed, kissing slowly and kicking playfully at each other’s feet. In the middle of the night, Chris woke to find that Zach had half rolled on top of him, an arm thrown across his chest and a hand curled possessively around his shoulder. _Sleeping alone after this is going to suck_ , Chris decided.

 

 

Saying goodbye was a sad and drawn out process, with both of them wanting to have one last touch or kiss, until Chris suggested that they christen every room of his new house once Zach was back. Lust flared briefly in Zach’s eyes and Chris shook his head in amusement and forced himself to leave in order to make his flight. He had glanced up as he stood on the sidewalk hailing a cab and saw Zach watching him from his window, his form almost imperceptible in the waning light of dusk. Zach had pressed his fingertips to his lips before laying his hand flat against the glass and Chris had smiled bravely despite the sting of tears behind his eyes.

With a sigh, Chris walked away from the ticketing kiosk and stopped by a row of empty seats to put his boarding pass into the front pocket of his messenger bag. He remembered then that he forgot to return Zach’s mittens. Wrestling them from his coat pockets, he noticed that one of the mittens crunched. His brow furrowed as he stuck him hand inside and pulled out a neatly folded wad of Christmas paper. He unfolded it to reveal Zach’s distinct handwriting and a key that tumbled into his lap.

 

 _Dear Chris,_

 _I wasn’t sure what to buy you for Christmas either. I can’t think of a gift or anything else that could adequately express what the last few days have meant to me._

 _This is the key to my house in Silverlake. It’s symbolic of something and I trust that you will keep it close._

 _Also, this means you have to pick me up from the airport cause it’s the only house key I brought with me._

 _I’m missing you terribly already._

 _Yours, Zach_

 

Chris laughed to himself and shook his head. Apparently, Zach’s disregard for proper capitalization only manifested when he was near a keyboard. He laced Zach’s house key onto the metal ring that held his own keys and placed them back into the pocket of his jeans. Carefully, he folded up the note and tucked it into his wallet just as his phone buzzed. Fishing it out from his other pocket, he saw that his publicist had texted him.

 _Weren’t you supposed to be back two days ago?_

Three paparazzi photos of him and Zach were attached. The powdery snow on their coats and jeans gave away that these were taken yesterday morning during their walk back from Central Park. In the first two, they were laughing with their heads turned toward each other as they walked. He couldn’t remember exactly what they had been talking about, but he found himself grinning at how happy they looked.

Chris scrolled down and snorted when he saw the last photo. They were still walking, but the mischief was clear on Zach’s face as his arm extended behind Chris’ lower half ( _‘just dusting off some snow, oops, I didn’t mean to squeeze,’_ Zach had told him). Chris wore an expression of surprise, his own hand trying to shove Zach’s shoulder away.

As much as Chris despised it when these types of photos were taken of him, he couldn’t stop staring at them with a lopsided smirk. He checked the time and sent off a quick text to his publicist.

 _Something unexpected came up so I took a spontaneous detour._

He blushed at the memories from the last few days, going through his mental catalog of all the ways Zach looked at him and touched him when they were alone, and with his face pink and warm, he gathered up his things to head to the gate. February couldn’t arrive soon enough.

 

* _end_ *


End file.
